Five inspectors from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority inspected the Ohi nuclear power plant Friday, after reports of an active fault zone known as the F-6 zone which runs directly underneath an emergency water intake channel for Unit 3 and Unit 4 at the plant. These channels draw seawater which is used to keep the reactors cooled during emergency events, if the crush zone were affected by an earthquake these water intakes could be rendered unable to perform their emergency operations.

First, investigators were briefed by a team of experts from Kansai Electric, the utility which operates the nuclear power station, and examined soil core samples used by KEPCO in their investigation.

NRA Deputy Kunihiko Shimazaki suggested that KEPCO’s current research is not enough and may ask for additional investigations to be conducted. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said the government will respect any decision by the commission on the fate of the reactors.

The regulator plans to conduct similar surveys at five other nuclear plants across Japan in the wake of the massive earthquake and tsunami in March last year.

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